It might be time for Jason Garrett to re-define what "Right Kinda Guy" means

[DOUBLE WING]

Despite all his bluster, something is apparently becoming lost in translation with how we scout and evaluate players' off the field behavior in the Jason Garrett regime.

Mind you, as you look at the list below, that in the previous 11 years before Garrett took over (I'll start his tenure in 2011 since he was interim in 2010) there were zero – I repeat – ZERO drug-related suspensions by Cowboys players.

In that same time frame, there were EIGHT arrests – which is right on par with Garrett's number after seven seasons as head coach.

As we sit here today, we're likely adding one more name to that suspension list with Zeke, unfortunately.

Suspensions
David Irving
DeMarcus Lawrence
Greg Hardy
Randy Gregory (2)
Rolando McClain (4)
Josh Brent
Jakar Hamilton
RJ Dill
Shaquelle Evans
Orlando Scandrick (later overturned)
Joseph Randle

Arrests
Damien Wilson
Nolan Carroll
Rolando McClain
Josh Brent
Joseph Randle
Jay Ratliff
Dez Bryant
Kevin Ogletree

 

[Doomsday101]

“We’re looking for the right kind of guy,” he said. “The right kind of guy, to us, is someone who loves to play football, who is very passionate about it, willing to work hard at it, willing to be part of a team, willing to be part of something that is maybe greater than himself.

http://sportsblogs.star-telegram.co...t-kind-of-guy-and-says-ego-is-part-of-it.html

Right kind of guy is about guys willing to work hard and be dedicated. As for guys with off the field issues, clearly Dallas took some chances of guys who had red flags but were good players with high potential. Maybe Dallas should not take these chances but when Garrett has talked about RKG he is has never put that in context of what grown men do outside of the team.

 

[DOUBLE WING]

“We’re looking for the right kind of guy,” he said. “The right kind of guy, to us, is someone who loves to play football, who is very passionate about it, willing to work hard at it, willing to be part of a team, willing to be part of something that is maybe greater than himself.

http://sportsblogs.star-telegram.co...t-kind-of-guy-and-says-ego-is-part-of-it.html

Oh ok. Nothing in there about not engaging in criminal behavior. Makes sense then, I guess.

 

[Doomsday101]

Oh ok. Nothing in there about not engaging in criminal behavior. Makes sense then, I guess.

He is looking for dedicated players, I agree with taking players of questionable character and finding one who is squeaky clean these days is a bit hard to do. Dak had a red flag with a DUI should Dallas have passed on him? No excusing any player but they are responsible for their actions, not the Dallas Cowboys or Garrett.

 

[CF74]

We need "Bodyguards" or glorified babysitters for guys with issues.

Or implement some new rule. If you get into trouble once you get a babysitter for 18 months, etc.

 

[Howboutdemcowboys31]

We just get caught more. It's happening in all 32 club houses

 

[NoLuv4Jerry]

We just get caught more. It's happening in all 32 club houses

Here is where my issues is.....if you are Zeke.....your margin for error has become razor thin....so the fact that you have not reassessed your social life leads me to believe you are very hard headed or lack self/situational awareness.

 

[Alexander]

We need "Bodyguards" or glorified babysitters for guys with issues.

Or implement some new rule. If you get into trouble once you get a babysitter for 18 months, etc.

Did that before first with Pacman Jones and later with Dez Bryant.

It makes zero difference in terms of getting these players to understand they are marked and need to watch their behavior.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

When are people here going to get over the RKG thing? Really.

Every coach, gm or personnel will use this phrase or their own similar phrase to justify them drafting a player, bringing in a FA or trading for a player to come to their team.

The term they use can mean whatever they want it to mean in under to justify it.

If a guy is a boy scout and plays hard and never has been in trouble Byron Jones...RKG.
If a guy plays hard but has been in a little bit of trouble before Dak (dui before the draft)...RKG
If a guy has a load athletic talent but has yet to materialize on the field and they can get him for a bargain, whether he is a saint or not David Irving(during the draft they took him off their boards) ...RKG
If a guy has a great deal of talent and has produced on the field but has been in trouble for off the field issues and they can get him for a deal, Greg Hardy...RKG
If a guy is super talented and has not had trouble off the field but is known as a cancer in the locker room for more than one team even turning on coaches and QBs, T.O....RKG (although to be fair this was under Bill not Jason


RKG is just an excuse to explain why they brought in this or that player. It can mean anything they want. He is a hard worker, he stays out of trouble, he might get in trouble but he plays hard, he might not have lived up to his potential and needs coached up but there is talent there, he has been in a good deal of trouble but he is talented enough they are willing to take a gamble on him for the right price and his former teammates loved him. blah blah blah

And yet year after year, thread after thread someone comes in and acts like it is a way to belittle the coach, the GM or whoever in this organization.

They are no different than any other team when they use an excuse to bring in someone or keep someone or justify a player being on the roster.

Some time ago in yet another one of these type of threads I went through a list of some of the top coaches who were also seen as disciplinarian coaches who have all had players that have gotten in trouble in one form or the other but the coaches kept them on the roster until they had to get rid of them later.

The really ironic thing about this is during draft time when some of us don't want troubled players even though they are really talented (Randy Gregory)...people on here will say...we need players not boy scouts. I have seen some of the same people who have said that in order for us to draft a player like Gregory, turn around and complain about the Coaches and staff for taking a player like Gregory when Gregory continues to do what Gregory did in college.
The irony is incredible.

 

[DOUBLE WING]

He is looking for dedicated players, I agree with taking players of questionable character and finding one who is squeaky clean these days is a bit hard to do. Dak had a red flag with a DUI should Dallas have passed on him? No excusing any player but they are responsible for their actions, not the Dallas Cowboys or Garrett.

Well, judging by our track record with other players, Dak was and is an incredibly risky pick. He seems like he's got his head on straight, but one really never knows.

 

[DOUBLE WING]

When are people here going to get over the RKG thing? Really.

Every coach, gm or personnel will use this phrase or their own similar phrase to justify them drafting a player, bringing in a FA or trading for a player to come to their team.

The term they use can mean whatever they want it to mean in under to justify it.

I don't know of many coaches around the league who coined such a term and used it over and over and over again, ad nauseam. Garrett is the one who started it, and beat the "RKG" drum year after year, almost as an excuse at times for why the team wasn't performing up to standard. Well, we don't have the RKG's in here yet, that's why we're 8-8.

 

[Supercowboy1986]

“We’re looking for the right kind of guy,” he said. “The right kind of guy, to us, is someone who loves to play football, who is very passionate about it, willing to work hard at it, willing to be part of a team, willing to be part of something that is maybe greater than himself.

http://sportsblogs.star-telegram.co...t-kind-of-guy-and-says-ego-is-part-of-it.html

Right kind of guy is about guys willing to work hard and be dedicated. As for guys with off the field issues, clearly Dallas took some chances of guys who had red flags but were good players with high potential. Maybe Dallas should not take these chances but when Garrett has talked about RKG he is has never put that in context of what grown men do outside of the team.

Oh ok. Nothing in there about not engaging in criminal behavior. Makes sense then, I guess.

Exactly. You and others need to stop trying to change what the definition of a RKG is, which was defined and documented some time ago by JG/media.

JG is a coach, his job is to win games (whether he is good at that is an entirely different topic.)

His job is not to be a role model or father figure to fans or players.

 

[Trouty]

It might be time for the Zone to sticky what Right Kinda Guy means.

Y'all have so much trouble with this one.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

I don't know of many coaches around the league who coined such a term and used it over and over and over again, ad nauseam. Garrett is the one who started it, and beat the "RKG" drum year after year, almost as an excuse at times for why the team wasn't performing up to standard. Well, we don't have the RKG's in here yet, that's why we're 8-8.

Every coach does not use the term RKG...they use wordings similar to it.

I live in an area where they play Cincy, Pittsbugh and Cleveland games.

Have seen multiple times how Cincy coach Marvin Lewis will explain away drafting players year after year that fall to the bengals in various rounds because they have questionable character or troubles on or off the field. They always justify it by saying...they play hard and they love the game and they were too good of a talent to pass up at that spot. Always an excuse.

And if you cannot figure it out that Jason is not the only one who does it now, or in the past or will do so in the future...that is your problem but I think you know better...or at least I hope you do.

It's the same reason that players like pac man jones kept getting playing time after all the times he has been in trouble...it is the same reason that TO kept getting signed after being known as a team cancer to different teams.

If a player has talent and a team thinks they can get that talent they will weigh the option of taking that player for an amount of money they are willing to gamble.

 

[jday]

I don't know of many coaches around the league who coined such a term and used it over and over and over again, ad nauseam. Garrett is the one who started it, and beat the "RKG" drum year after year, almost as an excuse at times for why the team wasn't performing up to standard. Well, we don't have the RKG's in here yet, that's why we're 8-8.

Okay, now you are just making news up. Don't bother responding; I won't be here.

 

[Doomsday101]

When are people here going to get over the RKG thing? Really.

Every coach, gm or personnel will use this phrase or their own similar phrase to justify them drafting a player, bringing in a FA or trading for a player to come to their team.

The term they use can mean whatever they want it to mean in under to justify it.

If a guy is a boy scout and plays hard and never has been in trouble Byron Jones...RKG.
If a guy plays hard but has been in a little bit of trouble before Dak (dui before the draft)...RKG
If a guy has a load athletic talent but has yet to materialize on the field and they can get him for a bargain, whether he is a saint or not David Irving(during the draft they took him off their boards) ...RKG
If a guy has a great deal of talent and has produced on the field but has been in trouble for off the field issues and they can get him for a deal, Greg Hardy...RKG
If a guy is super talented and has not had trouble off the field but is known as a cancer in the locker room for more than one team even turning on coaches and QBs, T.O....RKG (although to be fair this was under Bill not Jason


RKG is just an excuse to explain why they brought in this or that player. It can mean anything they want. He is a hard worker, he stays out of trouble, he might get in trouble but he plays hard, he might not have lived up to his potential and needs coached up but there is talent there, he has been in a good deal of trouble but he is talented enough they are willing to take a gamble on him for the right price and his former teammates loved him. blah blah blah

And yet year after year, thread after thread someone comes in and acts like it is a way to belittle the coach, the GM or whoever in this organization.

They are no different than any other team when they use an excuse to bring in someone or keep someone or justify a player being on the roster.

Some time ago in yet another one of these type of threads I went through a list of some of the top coaches who were also seen as disciplinarian coaches who have all had players that have gotten in trouble in one form or the other but the coaches kept them on the roster until they had to get rid of them later.

The really ironic thing about this is during draft time when some of us don't want troubled players even though they are really talented (Randy Gregory)...people on here will say...we need players not boy scouts. I have seen some of the same people who have said that in order for us to draft a player like Gregory, turn around and complain about the Coaches and staff for taking a player like Gregory when Gregory continues to do what Gregory did in college.
The irony is incredible.

Bill Belicheck was one of the 1st coaches who talked about RKG. I don't think out of a team of 53 every guy is a so called RKG but I think you try to make your team up with enough players who do fit the mold and those are guys you lean on to be leaders in and out of the locker room.

As for Gregory, I was not for getting him. A guy failing drug test at the combines is a major red flag to me. However once the Cowboys choose him as a fan all I could do is hope for the best and hope the guy could clean his act up. He came out saying the right things that it was his fault he made no excuses and claimed he would clean up his act. He has failed his teammates, the organization and himself. Dallas gave him the opportunity and that was all any player could ask for but the rest fell to him and as we know he has crashed and burned.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

Some people would rather party than be a RKG.

 

[MileyDancer]

It might be time for the Zone to sticky what Right Kinda Guy means.

Y'all have so much trouble with this one.

It's only related to football for all the Garrett homers.

 

[Trouty]

It's only related to football for all the Garrett homers.

Well it is a Garrett-used mantra, so...

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Bill Belicheck was one of the 1st coaches who talked about RKG. I don't think out of a team of 53 every guy is a so called RKG but I think you try to make your team up with enough players who do fit the mold and those are guys you lean on to be leaders in and out of the locker room.

As for Gregory, I was not for getting him. A guy failing drug test at the combines is a major red flag to me. However once the Cowboys choose him as a fan all I could do is hope for the best and hope the guy could clean his act up. He came out saying the right things that it was his fault he made no excuses and claimed he would clean up his act. He has failed his teammates, the organization and himself. Dallas gave him the opportunity and that was all any player could ask for but the rest fell to him and as we know he has crashed and burned.

I remember before the draft a few of us were having a discussion in the Draft zone, and later in the fan zone as the draft was approaching.

IF we had a choice between Shane Ray (missouri DE) or Gregory.

Talent wise most thought Gregory was better.

However a number of us, myself included, preferred Ray.

Ray made a really dumb mistake and got busted before the draft but prior to that had a clean record IIRC.

Gregory had failed test after failed test to the point it was in a few articles that some of the coaches asked for him NOT to be tested and he later tested positive at the combine as well.
There was a pattern there of multiple failed tests.

I said the one guy made one mistake before the draft and even if he was doing it prior to the draft he was smart enough not to get caught multiple times. lol.

Well...the rest is what it is.

I still think Gregory is more talented but he can't play because of his own issues with mary jane.